Christmas is the most wonderful time of year, but it can be tough. You want to make your loved ones happy, but you also want that amazing shiny new thing for yourself.

Three hit on the insight that self-indulgence is big at Christmas, but that it doesn't stop people wanting to treat their loved ones. And that’s where Three's generous Christmas promotion comes in: splash out on a gift for yourself and they’ll give you a discount on a gift for someone special. 

It's the best of both worlds: treat your loved ones at Christmas, by treating yourself at the same time.

To help Three sing the news from the (metaphorically, unfortunately) snow-dusted rooftops, we conceived a campaign that really makes Christmas all about you, via a specially designed app called CalendarMe. If you ever dreamed of having your own celebrity calendar, thanks to Three, now you can. Because what could be a better gift for your fans, er, we mean loved ones, than giving them 365 days of you?

The app, created with the technical wizardry of Unit9, uses clever colour-matched image replacement technology to insert users’ faces into their very own calendar. All you need to do is visit www.three.co.uk/CalendarMe, take a snap with your webcam or upload a photo, and Bob’s your Christmas-jumper-wearing uncle, you’ve got your mug on a digital, downlaodable and infinitely shareable calendar. The lucky recipients will be treated to a whole year of you: you as a mechanic, you as an astronaut, you as a long-haired member of a metal band, and more. Aren't you thoughtful?

While you’re assembling your one-of-a-kind calendar, our charismatic and flamboyant host Marcel will be there to guide you every step of the way and give you little bursts of ego-boosting encouragement.

Look out for something fun while you're out tackling your Christmas shopping too, with interactive posters appearing in select shopping centres, which allow you to play with the app right there. In the press, additional executions let you take a rather more analogue approach with a simple cut-out mechanic. 

This Christmas give them what they really want. 365 days of you. Have a go at making your own calendar, and who knows, you could be one of the lucky 10,000 people finding a little calendar-shaped present from Three in their letterbox. 

Merry Christmas me…and you.

Neil and Alex (second and third from left above) last night attended the annual awards of marketing management consultancy Oystercatchers Club at the May Fair Hotel. We mingled with an audience of marketers, CEOs, agency chiefs and industry movers and shakers. And we were delighted to come home with a couple of gongs.

The awards recognise outstanding achievement in new business marketing by the UK’s creative industry. They also share insights into what marketers look for when reviewing agency marketing materials. 

Wieden+Kennedy won 'best agency film' (ie best film made by an agency to promote itself) and was a runner-up for best RFI (ie response to an invitation to tender).

It's fascinating to check out the competition at an event like this. When pitching for new biz, you never see what you're up against, but last night we got a glimpse of other agencies' materials and approaches. The new biz 'arms race' is such that much of the materials are of a very high standard of finish and indicate huge investment of time and money. Saatchi & Saatchi had, impressively, made a spoof episode of BBC comedy W1A featuring Saatchi's own people as part of their BBC pitch tender. A very risky move that could have resulted in something cringeworthy, but I have to admit this was pretty good. On the other hand, it was interesting to hear the judges' criticism of some of the entries as being dull, unmemorable, poorly produced or, in the case of some of the films, too bloody long to sit through. One commented, "Some of them are so long and boring you feel like they need to be split into Parts One and Two, like The Hobbit."

Neil clutches award. Alex clutches glass of BOOZE.